The Science and Technology Innovation Conference 2025 opened at the West Bund International Convention and Exhibition Center on Nov 26.

With its theme "Pioneering Sci-Tech Innovation, Inspiring a New Era of Intelligence," the conference examined key trends driving the new wave of technological and industrial transformation, focusing on how technology can accelerate industrial upgrading and reshape future development.

At the conference, Shanghai's Xuhui district launched a U30 initiative, inviting young science and technology innovation talent under the age of 30 from around the world to settle in the city and build their businesses.

Under the initiative, Xuhui district will provide young talents with full-spectrum entrepreneurial support across multiple dimensions, including workspace, financing, and resources.

• Workspace support: Eligible individuals will receive one year of rent-free office space and one year of zero-rent housing.
• Financial aids: The district's artificial intelligence youth entrepreneurship fund will offer up to one million yuan ($141,361) in special investment and 500,000 yuan in interest subsidies.
• Resource subsidies: The package includes one million yuan in computing power vouchers, one million yuan in model vouchers, and one million yuan in data corpus vouchers, along with complimentary human resources services.
• Additional incentives cover internship subsidies and a special entrepreneurial studio bonus pool ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 yuan, among other policies.

Upholding the principle that youth are the driving force behind innovation and entrepreneurship, Xuhui has been leveraging its scientific innovation sources to drive regional development over the past five years.

The district launched top-tier research institutions such as the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and established a service center for scientific and technological achievements transformation. Twenty district-level high-quality incubators, including three municipal-level ones, serve as hubs for aggregating innovation resources and optimizing innovation efficiency.

Xuhui also integrated into the global innovation network, enhancing the openness and inclusivity of regional innovation. Through a series of targeted talent action initiatives, the district provides precise support throughout the entire lifecycle of talent innovation and entrepreneurship, upgrading services across housing, residency, children's education, healthcare, and cultural and recreational activities.

Building on the momentum generated by the rapid rise of AI, Xuhui aims to cultivate and expand new productive forces in the next five years, accelerating its evolution from a scientific district into a power field of innovation attraction.

Sources: Official WeChat account of Shanghai Xuhui Media Center at "xuhuifabu", Shanghai Observer